Preventing caries and cavities and improving the delivery of minerals that contribute to healthy teeth are important goals in oral health care. While preventive products can be extremely effective, sometimes the action of these products cannot keep up with consumer/patient habits. Many consumers are simply lax in oral health care, preferring diets rich in sweet foods over regular oral health care exercises. Likewise, the replacement of sugared products with sugar free products (such as gums, lozenges, and mints) has been an effective step for saliva stimulation after or between meals, which can effectively assist in the remineralization of teeth. Although the stimulated saliva is effective, there exist other opportunities to further improve dental health through the supplemental delivery of calcium and phosphate to the dentition.
While many drinks and other comestibles are currently fortified with calcium, the calcium is typically added in the form of a highly soluble precursor, such as calcium gluconate, calcium lactate or the like. While such highly soluble calcium is advantageous for quick and efficient absorption through the stomach and intestines, such rapid dissolution is less desirable for a calcium supplement intended to reside in the mouth for sufficient time to promote remineralization of the teeth. For such remineralization a relatively slow and steady calcium supply is more desirable. Tricalcium phosphate is a cheap, plentiful and rich calcium source with a very slow calcium release rate. Unfortunately, conventional calcium phosphate materials dissolve too slowly and such technologies are only marginally effective in providing useful quantities of minerals to the teeth.
Thus, there remains a need for mineral delivery compounds that can help boost remineralization efficacy through confectionery and foodstuff formats, such as a mint, gum, or lozenge. The present novel technology discussed herein addresses this need.